JOSH MAGENNIS cannot understate the importance of his Christian faith.
So when he suffered the first significant muscle injury of his career, pulling his hamstring in November, it was his faith that kept him positive throughout his seven weeks on the sidelines.
Josh Magennis is a devout Christian and wants to set up a prayer group with his fellow believers at HullCredit: Hull News and Pictures
Now, he is hoping he gets the chance to talk to more of his team-mates about the impact Jesus has had on his life – and set up a prayer group at Hull.
He said: “I’m a massive believer in Jesus and God. I always pray, there will never be a day where I don’t.
“My faith is a massive part of me. My faith helps me get over these types of things like injuries.
“It definitely gets the beat going with 20-plus grown adults in a room. Some people don’t believe, some people do, some people are sceptical.
“At Charlton, we had a Christian prayer group that met before every game with the chaplain. There is power in prayer, 100 per cent.
“There are a couple here so we will get together and have a chat. It opens you up to conversations that can help break down so many barriers.”
Magennis, 29, has 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 — a Bible passage describing God’s love — tattooed on his arm as a constant and permanent reminder of his faith.
With Chelsea visiting East Yorkshire in the FA Cup, Magennis will as usual spend time in prayer before kick-off.
But he insists it will not take a miracle for Grant McCann’s side to win what is “probably the biggest” match of the forward’s club career.
Will it be tough? Unbelievably so. Will it take everyone to have an outstanding game? Yes. But it’s a game we fully believe we can win.
Josh Magennis
He added: “I’m thoroughly looking forward to it! It’s not often you get to come up against an elite Premier League club.
“We both have dynamic pace and power. Both teams can hurt the other on the counter-attack. Neither will make it easy for the other.
“One-hundred per cent we can cause an upset. There would be no point in us showing up otherwise.
“Will it be tough? Unbelievably so. Will it take everyone to have an outstanding game? Yes. But it’s a game we fully believe we can win.”
After a stuttering start to his Hull career following his summer move from crisis-club Bolton, Magennis, 29, is hoping to fire Northern Ireland to Euro 2020 in the second half of the season.
He scored against the Dutch duo of Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt during qualifying — one to tell the grandkids — and knows the Green and White Army have a good chance of reaching another major tournament.
Michael O’Neill’s side face Bosnia and then either the Republic of Ireland or Slovakia in the play-offs.
Magennis represented his country at Euro 2016 but did so at youth level as a KEEPER before his Cardiff City academy boss Neal Ardley suggested he reverted to scoring rather than saving.
He added: “I had to say to my country, ‘I’ve changed my position.’ There was a time of exile just because we were in untested waters.
“I couldn’t catch the ball! I could do everything bar catch it, and being a goalkeeper that’s a massive attribute you have to have! I was just not good enough to be a professional goalkeeper.
“Getting to Euro 2020 would be euphoric, to play against the best players in Europe. Saying you played at a major tournament is indescribable.”
And if his club or country needed him, would Magennis be ready to don the gloves once again?
He added: “Oh 100 per cent — that would be great.
“If George Long gets ill and we’ve made all our subs, don’t you worry, I’ll be between them sticks!”
Magennis has tattoos dedicated to his sons and his belief in Jesus on his arms as a permanent reminderCredit: Hull News and Pictures
The goalkeeper-turned-striker gets up ahead of Matthijs de Ligt to head in against the NetherlandsCredit: AP:Associated Press
Magennis featured for Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 and is desperate to be involved again this summerCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Hull vs Chelsea FREE – Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and betting odds for FA Cup fourth round clash
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
